This invention relates to packaging of food products, and more particularly to a reclosable package and method of making a reclosable package in which the food product is contained within an evacuated product cavity.
Common practice in the food packaging industry is to vacuum package food products such as frankfurters, bacon, sliced luncheon meat, cheese and the like. It has been known to form an easy-open peel seal to facilitate access to the package contents. It is also known to provide an interlocking closure assembly between the webs forming the package, in combination with an easy-open peel seal, such as is disclosed in Griesbach et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,951. The Griesbach et al. patent discloses a reclosable package in which an interlocking zipper profile is provided on the facing webs of the package. The zipper profiles are located outwardly of the easy-open peel seal formed about the product.
The present invention has as its object to provide a reclosable package which differs from prior art packages by forming a pair of webs about a product so as to provide distinct outer and inner seals about the product. A portion of the outer seal is defined by a reclosable assembly which allows access to the interior of the package after breaking of the inner seal.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a reclosable package comprises a pair of webs, with a product cavity disposed between the webs adapted to receive product to be packaged. A first peripheral inner seal is provided between the pair of webs and encloses the product cavity, and thereby product received therein. A second peripheral outer seal is provided between the pair of webs and is located outwardly of the inner seal. A reclosable interlocking assembly is provided on facing portions of the webs, and forms a portion of the outer seal, for providing access to and reclosability of the product cavity after breaking of the inner seal. The outer seal preferably is located at the margins of the pair of webs and is spaced outwardly from the inner seal. The second seal extends less than the entire periphery of the pair of webs, providing a pair of spaced terminations to the outer seal. The reclosable interlocking closure assembly extends between the terminations of the outer seal, with the outer seal terminations preferably overlapping the closure assembly. In this manner, the outer seal in combination with the reclosable interlocking assembly completely surrounds the inner seal.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the pair of webs and the inner seal are formed as described above. The second outer seal is provided only along the side edges of the webs. In one form, the side seals extend throughout the full height of the package, between the top and bottom edges thereof. The side seals are spaced outwardly from the portion of the inner seal disposed adjacent thereto, defining an unsealed space therebetween. In another form, the side seals extend from the top end of the package downwardly along only a portion of the package sides, terminating above the bottom end of the package. The partial side seals extend downwardly past the zipper closure and also past the upper end of the inner seal. The side seals terminate adjacent the outermost extent of the inner seal, defining a space therebetween.
The area located inwardly of the inner seal is preferably evacuated after a product is placed therein, so that the inner seal defines the outer boundary of evacuation of the package. A space is preferably located between the inner seal and the outer seal, with the space not being evacuated.
The invention further contemplates a method of making a package and a method of packaging a product, substantially in accordance with the foregoing description.